The vision of success and victory are measured by the successes of not only receiving high marks but how consistently a team or program can achieve the high marks of success. As we cheer and stare in awe at our athletes we often look at the days well done performance without looking at all the factors that lead them to the top of the podium. Their training regiment now includes proper spinal alignments for optimal performance and to avoid or recover from injuries.
Health and Fitness Today
In today’s age of health and fitness, more and more of us are involved in sporting activities. Whether we are weekend warriors or professional athletes in training, proper nutrition and body-conditioning are needed for preventing injuries on and off the playing field.
If an injury does occur, it is vitally important to get proper care for any injury to prevent the development of chronic problems or permanent damage. One great option is Chiropractic. Chiropractors are trained in treating sports-related injuries, so they can advise you in the best way to heal an injury and how best to prevent it from recurring. In fact, early research has suggested chiropractic is the most effective conservative treatment option for athletes with back pain.
Being Prepared
The majority, if not all, sports are good, provided our bodies are prepared appropriately. Highly competitive sports follow rigorous training schedules that can be potentially dangerous. The best advice is to prepare your bodies and to learn to protect yourselves from sports related injuries before they happen.
Although today we think we are invincible. The following tips can help ensure you not miss a step when it comes to proper fitness, stretching, training and rest that the body needs to engage in sporting activities.
TIPS For Top Performance:
- Wear the proper equipment. Any sport can be dangerous if the equipment is not properly fitted. Make sure all equipment, including helmets, pads and shoes fit. Properly replace any of the equipment if it is damaged.
- Eat healthy meals. Make sure you are eating a well-balanced diet and do not skip meals. Avoid high-fat foods, such as candy bars and fast food. At home, avoid temptation and have fruit rather than cookies, and vegetables rather than potato chips.
- Proper Nutrition. Breakfast should be the most important meal of the day. Also, eating a healthy meal two to four hours before a practice or a game and another within one to two hours after a game or practice allows for proper replenishment and refuels the body.
- Drink water. Proper hydration is a key element to optimal fitness. Athletes in training need to drink even more than the average daily recommendation of eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water.
- Calcium Enriched Diet. Make sure your diet has enough calcium included in your diet. The calcium is essential for healthy bones and reduces the risk of joint and muscle related injuries.
- Avoid sugar-loaded, caffeinated and carbonated drinks. Sports drinks can be a good source of replenishment for those engaged in long duration sports, such as track and field, but water is vital.
- Follow a warm-up routine. Proper warm-ups should include a slow jog and then followed by a sport-specific warm-up which should include the stretching all of the major muscle groups. Jumping rope and/or lifting small weights reduces the risk of torn or ripped muscles. Flexibility is also key when pushing to score that extra goal or make that critical play.
- Take vitamins daily. A multi-vitamin and Vitamin C are great overall choices. Others such as Vitamin B and amino acids may help reduce the pain from contact sports. Thiamine can help promote healing, but also consider Vitamin A to strengthen scar tissue.
- Avoid trendy supplements. Avoid the use of performance-enhancing supplements, such as creatine.
- Get plenty of rest. Eight hours of sleep is ideal. Lack of sleep and rest can decrease performance. Sluggishness, irritability and loss of interest could indicate that you are fatigued.
- Chiropractic Care. For proactive care or sports injury your body can benefit from the range of massage therapy , joint manipulation, to specific exercises that target problem areas and strengthen previously injured or weakened muscles and joints. Working in conjunction with a qualified trainer, your chiropractor can help you stay in great shape and prevent injuries
We Can Help
Our team is trained and licensed to treat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system and can provide advice on sports training, nutrition and injury prevention. So if you are ready to play like a pro call our office so we can help you train and heal like a pro!
For Your Health,
Dr. Wendy Lanser, DC